Dysphasia
by Mysterious Em
Summary: **Complete---ALL chapters updated** SG-1 explores an uninhabited planet, Daniel disappears and returns speaking nonsense. Can SG-1 find a cure, or will Daniel be trapped like this for the rest of his days?
1. Chapter One

**  
Chapter 1**

Somewhere in the infinite universe, too far away to be measured in light years, there is a small planet that is very similar to earth. The planet is peaceful, and uninhabited aside from the animals, fish, insects, and other life-forms that make up the complex food chain. However, hidden deep in one of the southern jungles are the ruins of an ancient civilization. These cities have fallen prey to encroaching plant life, animal vandals, and the ravages of time. It's been years since a human has set foot in these ruins, but at the far end of the ghost city, there is a large stone ring that has better stood the test of time than the surrounding city. It has been overgrown with plant-life, but otherwise remains intact.

The story begins as two men and a woman, all dressed in green fatigues, hastily bustle around the stone ring, erecting a hasty but well-organized campsite.

Supplies for four pup tents were laid out, but only three had been successfully raised. Canvas, poles, and tent pegs for one still lay spread on the ground, awaiting a pair of hands to raise them into some semblance of shelter.

Teal'c, a large, dark, and stoic Jaffa, stood guard at the edge of the campsite, while Carter busied herself with setting up a campfire and O'Neill put the finishing touches on his tent.

Suddenly, O'Neill looked up, scowling. "Carter? Teal'c? Where's Daniel?"

Carter glanced over, but she didn't look worried. If anything, her blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "He said he was going off to examine some of the ruins we found nearby. I'm sure he's lost track of time..."

Teal'c gave a somber nod, one eyebrow raised in agreement. "Our initial investigations show no sign of life," he commented, implying that Daniel should be safe.

With a flourish, O'Neill drove the last tent peg into the ground. "What about lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my?" he replied, sarcastically.

While Teal'c frowned, puzzling over O'Neill's comment, Carter suppressed a smirk and looked back to the slowly growing fire. When she had managed to gain a handle on her sense of humor, she said calmly, "I'm sure he's fine. He's not due to check in for another twenty minutes..."

O'Neill just glowered. "Yeah, well... I don't trust him." He stared for a moment at the fire Carter was building, lost in thought, until suddenly he looked up. "Teal'c. Go check on Daniel, will ya?"

Teal'c nodded slightly, and without another word moved off into the slowly deepening gloom to locate the wayward archeologist. Carter finished stoking the fire, and retreated to a short distance to prepare her MRE, while O'Neill ventured a short distance from camp to gather a healthy supply of firewood. It was probably more than they needed, but at least it kept his mind off worrying about "his" civilian...

* * *

Daniel couldn't believe his luck. From the moment he had set foot through the gate, he knew that this was a huge find. It had taken him some time, but the afternoon's work had led him to believe that the writing on the walls of the buildings had been used as some sort of landmarks...Perhaps something akin to street signs.

However, one of the messages was still baffling him. He believed it to be some sort of warning, but the grammatical structure was completely different from the rest of the words he had deciphered.

"Daniel Jackson." The archeologist was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of Teal'c's voice. "I have been informed that tents are not in the habit of building themselves. Colonel O'Neill believes that you should come back to camp and set up before it gets dark, else you end up sleeping under the stars tonight." Only the slight twitch of the Jaffa's lips suggested that he had made an attempt at humor.

Daniel, whose mind was still ruminating over the alien evolution of ancient languages, only gave Teal'c vague, distracted smile. "Oh yeah... I'm coming, just... Let me copy these down.... Perhaps these are closer to one of the more modern dialects..." he trailed off, once again lost in thought.

Teal'c gave no reaction to this, other than a slight inclination of his head. "As you wish, Daniel Jackson. I shall inform Colonel O'Neill of your intent."

Daniel didn't really register what Teal'c was saying, but gave him a distracted wave and smile in order to encourage him to leave. As the Jaffa turned to go, Daniel had already noticed something else that was odd about the symbols on the wall in front of him. There was one character that was not quite familiar, but was somehow similar to the symbol he had come to associate with the word, 'Chapa'ai'. The addition could suggest some sort of smaller version of the gate, but perhaps if he cross-referenced similar symbols, he could come to a more definite conclusion...

By the time Daniel had made this association, he looked up to tell Teal'c that it might take longer than he thought, but the Jaffa was already gone. He frowned, but after a brief consideration, he started to gather his things to go. Jack would never let him forget it if he didn't get his tent set up before dark.

As he reached to pick up an abandoned notebook, however, something caught his attention. In the weeds near his groping hands, there was an object nestled within the tangle of broad-leafed vegetation. In fact, if he hadn't been bent over to gather his notes, he'd have never noticed it.

Curiously, Daniel reached out to push back a few of the leaves, revealing a small, sand-colored, box-shaped object. It was roughly the size of a softball, and covered in carved runes quite similar to those on the wall in front of him. _This is it!_ he silently exulted to himself. _Now if only I can translate these, maybe I can figure out the message..._

All thoughts of tents or checking in with O'Neill were driven from Daniel's mind as he picked up the fist-sized box and wandered back to the wall that he had been inspecting. Dinner could wait just a bit longer.

* * *

"The best I can figure, the runes said 'Beware the small Chapa'ai. Only the...something may enter there." Daniel was trying to explain to the rest of his team, while simultaneously becoming entangled with the makings of his tent. It didn't help that he had waited until dark to get started, and so only had the firelight to help him. "I'm not sure what the something was. I've never seen a rune like that before. I'm thinking that it may refer to something that only the indigenous people knew about. Perhaps it was a concept that developed after they split from the ancient Earth civilizations. Or it might have been..."

Of the other three members of the team, only Carter seemed to be listening to what Daniel had to say. O'Neill and Teal'c were on the other side of the fire, talking between themselves about something they seemed to find of grave importance. "Daniel, do you think that we might find this...'small Stargate'? I mean, it could be anything. If we could find it and replicate it, the benefits for Earth might be tremendous."

Daniel paused, still holding the last pole that would hold up his tent. "I'm not sure what exactly the small Stargate does, but I'm assuming it's some sort of...transportation device. But the runes didn't say anything about where this smaller Stargate would be found. If anything, I think they were being intentionally vague. I'm planning on taking another look tomorrow, though."

Carter looked worried, "Daniel, just be careful. Don't go wandering off by yourself without contacting us, okay?"

Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but was distracted from the topic at hand as his tent chose that moment to collapse in spite of his struggle to keep it standing. Finally, Carter took pity on him and came over to tell him what he was doing wrong. "Daniel... The big pole goes in the center. Tie off the ropes there and there, and then it should stay."

Daniel just gave her a rueful smile, "Thanks, Sam...Ah, do me a favor and let Jack know I'll take first watch?"

Sam gave a knowing grin, and nodded. "Sure. Good luck with the tent. Just remember to get some food in you, okay?"

* * *

The next day, while Daniel went out to explore the ruins with Teal'c for company, O'Neill and Carter went out to see what sort of natural resources were available on the planet. "Sir, what do you think about this...'small Stargate' that Daniel has been going on about? Do you think that it might still exist around here somewhere?"

O'Neill considered her question while taking a look at an odd variety of lime green vines that were attached to a nearby tree. "I don't know. Daniel's the expert. Ask him."

Carter shook her head, trying to disguise her amusement by looking at the ground. "I don't know, sir. I just hope that he doesn't get it into his head to go looking for it. You know how he is..."

The Colonel looked back at Carter with his smart aleck, know-it-all smile, and replied, "Yes, Carter. That's why Teal'c is with him. If they get into trouble, Teal'c can take care of it."

Carter tossed him a doubtful look, but kept her thoughts to herself. It wouldn't be the first time Daniel managed to run into trouble under Teal'c's watch, after all.


	2. Chapter Two

**  
Chapter 2**

It made sense. Like an inkblot that had suddenly resolved itself into a recognizable shape, he had found the answer.

Daniel continued deeper into the heart of the ruins, a familiar excitement building as he realized that he was on the brink of discovering just what this "little Stargate" was. Teal'c followed along behind, characteristically stoic but occasionally raising an eyebrow.

"I can't believe I didn't see that before!" he exclaimed, gesturing expressively as the familiar rush of discovery took hold. "I _knew _something seemed familiar about that rune. I've just never seen those particular marks in that combination before."

Teal'c strode along behind, his thick lips pulled into a frown. "What does it mean, Daniel Jackson?"

"Well, I kept thinking that I knew the function of that sentence, but this changes everything. It wasn't a warning, Teal'c, it was a message. Pale people hidden within the small Stargate. Beware...." He paused, and his expression slowly grew even more excited. "Teal'c...it's a directions. Kind of a 'Here there be dragons' sort of instruction, but regardless! This should lead us right to it."

Daniel's eager gaze swept across the tumbled buildings and streets overgrown with weeds, looking for clues as to where this small Stargate could be found, even as Teal'c responded, with a wary frown, "Perhaps the hidden people prefer to remain hidden..."

Daniel gave a vague smile to acknowledge Teal'c's comment, but his curiosity was not yet assuaged. "This doesn't make any sense. There's got to be more here...A clue of some kind..."

Daniel trailed off as his interest in the conversation evaporated. He stared, perplexed, at one of the few buildings that had not yet fallen in. He had almost missed it, lost in the mess of weeds and creeping vines that covered it. "Teal'c..._That_ is what the message was talking about. But...how? It's just a building..." He trailed off, obviously musing more to himself than to Teal'c.

"Daniel Jackson, I believe that we should contact Colonel O'Neill and inform him of our whereabouts," Teal'c suddenly remarked, sternly, but Daniel had already tuned him out as he circled the house. For a moment, he stared at the building in puzzlement, before glancing to the Jaffa with a distracted look. "Hm? ....Oh, yes. Yeah, I'll do that in a minute. Teal'c, does something look strange about this building?"

Teal'c frowned, standing back with his hands folded behind his back while Daniel scampered about the place, cautiously pulling back vines. "The building seems to be more...solid than the others."

"It should be falling to pieces, but here it stands," Daniel agreed, in a voice full of wonder. "Have you noticed that it doesn't have a door?" He walked around the building, leaving Teal'c's field of vision for a moment as he searched in vain for an entrance. "There ought to be a way to get in here somewhere..."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at this, but followed Daniel at a more sedate pace. "Perhaps you will have to force entry..."

By the time that Teal'c rounded the corner, the linguist was no where to be seen. Calmly, the Jaffa picked up his walkie-talkie, and pushed the button, even as his eyes scanned the area for signs of Daniel. "Colonel O'Neill. Come in." he spoke into the device, and then waited patiently.

* * *

"I swear to god, if he's just wandered off again, I'll shoot him in the foot," O'Neill grumbled as he stalked down a path to rendezvous with Teal'c.

Carter trotted along behind, her brow creased with worry. "Sir, he promised that..."

She was cut off mid-sentence by O'Neill's snort, as he covered his own worry with dry humor. "He always promises, Carter. And he always, and I mean always, wanders off."

As they finally reached the spot where Daniel had disappeared, they were greeted by the solemn form of Teal'c standing in front of a weed-covered building. Without hesitation, the colonel called out in his best 'commanding officer' voice, "Dr. Daniel Jackson! Wherever you've snuck off to, get your butt back here! That's an order!"

In the ensuing silence after the echoing command, the members of SG-1 only grew more nervous for their missing teammate. Carter glanced around, betraying her anxiety by fidgeting with her gear. Teal'c gripped his staff weapon, ready for action, while O'Neill paced around the building, just to be sure the archeologist wasn't too engrossed in some fancy carving to answer his call.

After a long enough pause to be sure that Daniel wasn't going to answer, the colonel looked at his other two teammates with a scowl. "Right. Here's the plan. First, we search the nearest buildings. Teal'c, you head south, Carter and I will head north. Check in on the radio every five minutes, and not a second later, got that?" he asked, receiving only a nod from the Jaffa.

"Right, then. Move out!"

* * *

Daniel knew he was in trouble the moment he felt his fingers depress some sort of button underneath the vines he'd been pulling away from the wall. He immediately pulled away, but it was too late.

The moment the button had been pushed, he found himself surrounded by a bright, pure white light. At first, it seemed pleasant, and he felt himself compelled to move forward. As he did, he could see shadows around him, odd shapes of things that he could just barely see beyond the reach of the light.

As he walked, the light grew ever brighter. Still, that strange compulsion drew him forward, even when the light grew so bright that he had to cover his eyes or be blinded. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice screamed at him, _Go back!_ but listening to that voice was no longer an option.

Without warning, he sensed the light around him grow dim, and he cautiously uncovered his eyes. He found himself in a black room, so dark that his strained vision couldn't see anything. Gradually, his eyes adjusted, and he could see a nebulous, faintly glowing mist or fog. He squinted, trying to get a better look, and as he watched the mist continued to solidify until it was a clearly visible amorphous column of gas.

His natural curiosity taking over, Daniel stepped forward, eyes and mouth wide at the sight. It was so beautiful... Suddenly, before his eyes, a face appeared in the mist, a clear reflection of his own expression of curiosity and wonder.

There was just enough time for a startled gasp to fall from his lips before he felt a heavy pressure in the back of his head. Fireworks exploded in front of his eyes, and he descended once again into blackness...This time, the dark of unconsciousness.

* * *

The atmosphere on the planet the next day was one of anxiety and frenzied activity. O'Neill was coordinating the search effort, but so far they had found nothing.

That evening, the remaining members of SG-1 settled down to a necessary meal, and took advantage of that time to compare notes on what they had found.

"I have found no recent signs of intruders anywhere in the city," Teal'c was explaining. "If Daniel Jackson has been kidnapped, it was by use of technology far more advanced than anything I have ever seen. It is as though he simply disappeared."

Carter poked at her MRE with no enthusiasm. "I can't see how Daniel could have been kidnapped, sir. Not right under Teal'c's nose like that, in a completely abandoned area..."

O'Neill lifted an eyebrow, and glanced at Carter. "This _is_ Daniel we're talking about here."

Carter nodded her head in reluctant agreement, and with some frustration, dug the plastic fork into her meal, in spite of a distinct lack of appetite. "Frankly, sir, I think he's still in the ruins," Carter admitted, with some frustration. "Teal'c said he was studying something about a 'small Stargate'. That building has no doorway... and we haven't been able to cut our way through. I'm not sure anything short of explosives is going to work on it, and...sir, I don't see how, but I think Daniel might have found what he was looking for."

O'Neill gave a solemn nod, but for once refrained from complaining about Daniel's impulsive tendencies with his research. "Tomorrow, I'm going to divide our efforts," he announced, suddenly. "We'll send the marines out to comb the forest. Carter, you and the scientists focus on that building. I have a hunch it's the key to finding Daniel, I want you and your team to figure it out."

With that, O'Neill passed the last of his meal to Carter, leaving the leftovers for anyone who might want them, and retreated to the shadows. Without a word, the team understood that O'Neill would be taking first watch.

For the rest of the meal, Carter was painfully aware of the silence that would usually have been filled with Daniel's chatter about his work. Before long, she realized that she wasn't any hungrier than her commanding officer, and she picked up both MREs to dispose of them. "I'm going to try and get some sleep," she murmured.

She could tell by Teal'c's raised eyebrow that he had seen through her bluff. There would be little sleep for any of the remaining members of SG-1 until they knew that Daniel was safe and whole.

Just before she ducked into her tent, Carter glanced back to see Teal'c, backlit by the fire and staring in contemplative silence at the encroaching shadows.

* * *

Major Carter drank down half a mug of coffee in one long draught, and then forced her tired body to get back on its feet. Little rest and much worry had left her drained of reserves, but she wasn't yet ready to give up. Determined, she walked along the path that lead to what she had begun to think of as "Daniel's" building, where the archeologists had been working around the clock to try and decipher the symbols they had found carved into the wall.

As she approached, she noticed a flurry of activity. Concerned, she caught one of the members of the backup team by the arm as he went bustling past. "What's going on over there?" she asked him, sternly.

"They've found Dr. Jackson! I'm supposed to be going on ahead to warn the doctors that they've got a new patient."

Carter's eyes went wide, and she blurted, "What? Where? Is he okay?" A dozen horrible scenarios flashed through Carter's mind, and she had to stop herself from asking a dozen more questions, forcing herself to give the poor man time to answer.

"He was just lying on the ground," the man explained. "None of us saw where he came from, but I know I checked that path this morning. I swear to god... It's like he just appeared out of thin air!"

In spite of her continued unease, she waved the man on to fetch the doctors. Unwilling to waste any more time, she ran toward what seemed to be the source of the excitement, and the crowd seemed to part for her. What she saw caused her to come up short. To all appearances, Daniel looked perfectly fine. _Why on earth are they sending for a doctor?_

"Daniel!" she exclaimed, with wary relief. She looked around, and caught the eye of O'Neill with a meaningful glance, before looking back at Daniel, "You're looking...good."

The linguist's eyes brightened as he saw the Major. He seemed incredibly excited about something, but when he opened his mouth, Carter's jaw dropped at what came out. "Perfect blanc el abuelo, portez mes a vous white light."

For a moment, Daniel looked hopeful, but as his blue eyes met Carter's shocked gaze, the hope died into pitiful frustration.

As the realization of what she had just witnessed dawned on her, Carter looked back to O'Neill with a horror-filled gaze. By the worried look the colonel gave her, she knew that what she'd heard was not her imagination.

"Holy Hannah..."


	3. Chapter Three

**  
Chapter 3**

Carter stared in shock for a moment, before she realized that her mouth was hanging open. Gracefully, she turned the gesture into a question, tearing her eyes away from Daniel to look around at the gathered faces, familiar or not. "What happened?" she asked, getting to the point faster than anyone else.

A young man with startling green eyes (_John_, she thought disjointedly) spoke up in answer to her question in a quiet but authoritative voice. "We don't really know, actually. He seems to understand what we're saying, but we can't be sure because everything that comes out of his mouth is...well...gibberish."

Daniel rolled his eyes slightly, still frustrated by the fact that they weren't yet letting him back on his feet. "D'Jaffa ri'ich mas, por favor."

"You can see what I mean," John commented with barely contained curiosity. "It would be one thing if he was simply switching the words in another language for the same word in English, but he seems to be scrambling things up entirely. My hunch is that some of the things he's saying aren't even part of a known language."

Carter absorbed all this information in silence, and then turned her sharp, intelligent eyes upon the young man. "So what you're saying is that Dr. Jackson has...lost his ability to communicate? He can't put together coherent sentences?"

John seemed reluctant to reply, but finally nodded to confirm her diagnosis. "That is what it seems. However, I'm sure that Doctor Fraiser will be able to tell you more than I can," he finished, and then turned away to continue coordinating the evacuation of both Daniel and the search teams. Anything to get away from that look he was getting from the major.

As Carter met Daniel's eyes, she decided that he must indeed understand what they were saying. The personality behind those glasses was still the Daniel she knew, even if he couldn't tell her so. "Don't worry, Daniel," she assured him, quietly. "We'll figure out what caused this."

* * *

Hours later, having been poked, prodded, quarantined, and finally released, SG-1 finally had a chance to sit down and talk to Doctor Fraiser about Daniel's condition.

"This kind of reaction is simply not caused by disease," the doctor explained to the team in the debriefing room. "I advise rest and relaxation for the SG-1 team. However, I would like Dr. Jackson to remain in the infirmary for observation. I have a few ideas of what might have caused this, but I'll need him with me to test these theories."

The team didn't budge, and Fraiser shifted awkwardly, with a tight-lipped smile. "Look, I want Daniel to feel loved as much as any of you. But right now, what he needs most is _rest_. I'll give each of you a chance to visit with him, but first I need to run my tests, and then, you are _all_ going to get some sleep."

When they simply sat there, each one with their own uniquely stubborn look, the doctor's brow furrowed. "I can always tranquilize you all. Would that help you sleep?"

Reluctantly, the team began to disperse, O'Neill murmuring his intention to return while Teal'c paced away in stoic silence. Carter, however, hung back to continue the discussion with Doctor Fraiser.

"Janet, can you tell me what any of these...theories of yours might be?" Carter asked, as Janet sat behind her computer and the major settled into a spare chair.

"Samantha, I don't want to worry you..." The doctor stopped speaking at the sharp look that she got from Sam. "But... This kind of disorder is not entirely unheard of on Earth. That's why I don't believe it's caused by any sort of disease. Usually, these kinds of troubles with language are caused by a stroke of some sort. It's possible that it could have been caused by a head injury, but a preliminary examination showed no sign of contusion."

Carter stared at her friend for a moment, and then shook her head. "So, you think Daniel had a stroke?" she asked.

Doctor Fraiser held up a hand, fending off her friend's worry. "No, Samantha. Honestly? I don't think that it's very likely. But I'm going to do some tests to be sure."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries and being reassured that Daniel would be fine in Dr. Fraiser's care, Major Carter left the infirmary, though she doubted that she would be able to relax entirely.

* * *

Days later, Doctor Fraiser had made some progress in determining the cause of Daniel's illness, and was attempting to explain what was wrong with Daniel to his team members, with admittedly limited success. "Daniel has what we call expressive dysphasia... I'll spare you the medical jargon, but suffice it to say that Dr. Jackson can hear and understand us perfectly. However, when his brain tries to perform the function associated with putting words together into sentences, his meaning becomes jumbled."

Teal'c sat back in his chair, listening attentively and looking thoughtful. Major Carter leaned forward against the table, listening to her every word and offering the occasional quiet, but intelligent question. Colonel O'Neill, on the other hand, was making a nuisance of himself, as usual.

"You mean his brains have been scrambled?" The colonel said, obviously outraged. "What the hell kind of thing could do that to him?"

Fraiser gave him a stiff smile that suggested she was nearing the end of her patience, and it managed to cool his anger, marginally. "I'm getting to that, sir. As I was saying, Daniel has learned to communicate using a rudimentary system of gestures. While it is not ideal, it has given me some insight into what he is experiencing." She could hear grumbling coming from the direction of O'Neill, but simply spoke louder to avoid admitting she had heard him. "After running some basic tests, I've come to the conclusion that while Daniel has not suffered any obvious physical damage, there must be some brain damage."

This time, Major Carter spoke up, her eyes wide with horror that she tried to suppress. "I don't understand...how could that be? There wasn't a scratch on him when we found him..."

The doctor was much more inclined to address Carter's polite questions, and so looked at her with a slight, professional smile. "I don't know that for sure. What I do know is that he seems to have some sort of...lesions on his brain. It is very specific in scope, as only his ability to speak has been affected. I know that it's not cancer of any type, and it was not caused by a blow to the head. My professional opinion is that it was done on purpose. What I can't tell you is how this could have been achieved without major surgery, which would have left some sort of obvious external evidence."

Colonel O'Neill stared at the doctor for a few moments, to make certain that she was finished, and then looked around at his team. "Well, it seems that someone or...something has been messing around in Daniel's head. Now, we have two choices. Either we all go back there and look for whatever..." he caught himself before he used some rather inappropriate language, and adjusted his words. "For whatever **entities** did this, or I go back alone."

Immediately, Major Carter nodded her head. "Sir, if you're going, I'm going, too."

Teal'c, however, was slightly more reticent. "If General Hammond allows it, it is my duty to help find anyone who might heal Daniel Jackson's injuries."

"I would like to join you, sir." Unexpectedly, Doctor Fraiser had spoken. "Just between us, I think it highly likely that we will find some sort of...device, left behind by the ancients. If we do, I may be able to examine it, and use that information to fix the damage done."

Colonel O'Neill quietly let out a breath, hoping that none of his team noticed his nerves acting up. "Request accepted, Doctor. With General Hammond's consent, we'll be back on that planet as quickly as possible." He just hoped that he didn't regret this decision.


	4. Chapter Four

**  
Chapter 4**

By the end of the day, Major Carter, Teal'c, Col. O'Neill, and Doctor Fraiser had received the go-ahead from Hammond, gathered supplies, and were standing in front of the Stargate in preparation for another mission. There was an unusual tension in the air, and silence from the group as each member of the team worried for their missing teammate.

As they all waited impatiently through the countdown, Carter glanced aside at O'Neill and asked under her breath, "How was Daniel doing when you left him?"

Without taking his eyes off the Stargate, the colonel answered with his customary flippancy, "Fine. To tell the truth, I don't really see much difference between this and the way he usually talks."

Carter suppressed an anxious smile and dropped her eyes. "I'm worried about him, too, sir."

"Chevron 4, encoded..."

* * *

Meanwhile, in his office, Daniel was trying his best to get some work done. Most people would have said he should be resting...

_But I just can't stand the pity on everyone's faces,_ he fumed to himself. _I'm not useless. I can still work on these translations._

He had been working since he'd been released from the infirmary, in fact, making notes in his characteristic cramped scrawl. Something was bugging him, niggling at the back of his brain, but he just couldn't figure out what it was. If only he could think straight...

It wasn't until he turned back to his notes, glancing over his earlier writing, that he realized the notes were completely useless.

_Might as well be written in Jabberywocky,_ he thought with a snarl of disgust as he flipped through pages of notes written in gibberish. He dropped the stack of paper in the trash a bit more forcefully than necessary, and sat back heavily in his chair, feeling defeated.

As he sat, trying to think of something useful to do, his attention was slowly drawn to the box of artifacts brought back from the planet.

A small box amongst the various objects caught his interest. It was the same small, sand-colored cube he had found near the building that had started this whole business. Something about the runes carved over its surface caught his eye, and he couldn't look away.

A faint crease of concentration appeared on his brow, until suddenly he turned to his bookshelf and searched through the stacks of reference material until he had retrieved an old, dusty, and little used dictionary from the back of his bookshelf. Carefully, he dusted a thin film of grime from the cover, and pulled it open, barely suppressing a sneeze.

He flipped through the pages, his intelligent eyes roaming from the cube to his book, and occasionally turning the cube over for a new perspective. After awhile, he shut the dictionary, and turned the cube over in his hands a few times. He wondered at the purpose of the object, and this curiosity demanded experimentation.

Without any obvious aim, he poked and prodded. _Maybe it opens..._ he mused, trying to find a seam or hinges to indicate a lid of some sort. Suddenly, his fingers hit what seemed to be the proper combination, and a brilliant light spilled forth, nearly blinding him in its intensity.

* * *

In the gate room, the countdown continued. Colonel O'Neill would swear that the countdown got slower with each trip through the gate.

"Chevron seven; locked!"

As the familiar blue event horizon of the Stargate exploded into being, O'Neill resisted an urge to let out a relieved sigh. Instead, he strode forward. "Okay, let's go, kids."

Suddenly, alarm klaxons sounded, and the main doors of the gate room slowly opened. Shocked, and tensed for some sort of trouble, the colonel turned toward the doors. However, beyond the yawning entryway, he saw only Daniel, who was not looking happy at all. "Daniel? What the…"

He was soon interrupted by Major Carter at his shoulder, hissing worriedly, "I thought you said he was 'fine'?"

By this time, Daniel had moved to stand in front of them, blocking the ramp. O'Neill reacted on instinct to the usually frustrating archeologist, every muscle in his body tensing with anxiety, "Daniel...? Now's not the time to be playing games..."

When Daniel failed to get out of the way, the colonel reached out to catch his arm. Rather than allow himself to be pulled away, Daniel grabbed O'Neill's shoulder. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and O'Neill was pierced to the core by the look of terror in his friend's eyes.

O'Neill kept holding Daniel's arm, and sent a significant look to the other team members. Both Teal'c and Sam were tensed and anxious, and Doctor Fraiser looked extremely worried. "Sir," the doctor murmured, "I think we should get him back to the infirmary."

"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c spoke up, with a significant glance toward the observation deck. "The Stargate should have disengaged by now."

Suddenly, as though cued by Teal'c's observation, several guards ran into the room, flashing weapons that were instantly trained on Daniel. "Don't shoot!" O'Neill shouted at the guards, throwing up a hand defensively. "Look, let's just...everyone calm down here."

Unfortunately, this was just the opening Daniel seemed to be waiting for. When the guards entered, O'Neill's hand loosened on Daniel's arm, and with a sudden jerk he pulled free and darted for the rippling blue of the Stargate.

"Daniel!" Colonel O'Neill shouted, but he needn't have wasted his breath. Before the guards could fire a shot, Teal'c had fired his zat gun, hitting Daniel in the back and felling him just short of the event horizon. As Daniel went down, his glasses clattered off his face and through the Stargate, just in time for the gate to shut down.

O'Neill wasted one moment for a worried look at the archeologist, then sent a significant look to his Jaffa team member. "Teal'c, help the doctor get him to the infirmary. Hold him down if you have to, but I want an explanation."

From there, Fraiser took over, already kneeling beside the semi-conscious form of SG-1's linguist. "Okay, I want him in isolation until we figure out what was going through his head," she announced, with her usual no-nonsense, business-like tones.

With Daniel taken care of for the moment, O'Neill gestured toward Carter. "Come with me. I want to know why it took them so long to get the gate down."

* * *

As O'Neill and Carter ran up the spiral staircase leading up to the observation deck, they were greeted with a shocking view. Where there should have been a panicked bustle of activity, there was simply a powdery, almost greasy smell on the air. On the floor lay the bodies of the crew who should have been shutting down the gate.

While O'Neill looked on with a scowl, Carter ran to the closest body for a quick examination. When she looked up, her wide blue eyes were full of worry. "Sir, they're unconscious... What did he do to them?"

O'Neill stubborn gaze met Carter's. "I don't know. But I intend to find out."

* * *

"Look, I care about Daniel as much as any of us, but I'm sorry. The mission's scrubbed."

Hammond's words hung over the heads of SG-1 like a pronouncement of doom.

O'Neill glared icily, but to everyone's surprise it was Sam who spoke up. "Sir, we can't do that."

Hammond's brows rose over his narrow forehead in surprise. "And why not?"

Sam gave a nervous look to her commanding officer, but O'Neill had momentarily forgotten his anger as he looked with equal shock at Sam. Her blue eyes flicked back to Hammond, but she was determined. "Because Dr. Fraiser says that Daniel's getting worse. Clearly he's being influenced by something...other."

Neither of the men looked convinced, so she shook her head and resolved to break it down even further. "If Daniel stays here, in the state he's in, who's to say what will happen? If he's too far gone, we might not be able to contain him..."

By the thoughtful look on Hammond's face, and the suddenly interested look in O'Neill's eye, she could tell that she was getting through to them. "For that matter, think of how many times we've been affected by an alien artifact, only to get sick as soon as we got home."

Hammond's thoughtful look devolved into a frown, and Sam's heart sank. "But wasn't he already affected on the planet? You said in your report that he was talking gibberish before you ever came back, is that correct?"

Sam gave a weak smile, unable to even convince herself that she wasn't grasping at straws. "Yes, sir."

The general gave a heavy sigh. "I want to see Daniel get better, really I do. But he was obviously trying to get to the Stargate. The fact remains that we have no way of knowing what his intentions were."

Finally, O'Neill could not hold himself back any longer. "He wasn't trying to hurt anyone," the colonel stated, with disgust at the very idea. "I got a good look at him. He was terrified. Whatever's going on in that cr...brilliant head of his, it isn't visions of mass murder." A beat passed, before he managed to tack on with barely contained sarcasm, "Sir."

Teal'c chose this moment to put his word in, and every head in the room turned toward him. His words fell in a gentle bass into the sudden silence, "I also believe that Daniel did not intend harm."

Carter glanced around the table then back to Hammond, with a determined passion in her eyes. "With all due respect sir," her voice held the slight strain of forced calm, "If Daniel _does _turn into some sort of...alien-controlled sociopath like you're suggesting, don't you think it would be in our best interest for it to happen on an uninhabited alien planet than here on Earth?"

Silence fell in the wake of that cold stroke of logic, as the remaining members of SG-1 waited with baited breath for Hammond to make a decision.

"Alright," Hammond said finally, and ignored the faint noise of triumph from O'Neill. "You have a go. On the condition!" He had to raise his voice and lift a hand to recapture their attention. "On the condition that Dr. Fraiser approves."


	5. Chapter Five

**  
Chapter 5**

A steady hum of voices intruded on the peaceful black solitude of Daniel's unconscious mind.

_God... Just shut up all ready..._ Even as these thoughts floated through his mind, Daniel became aware of the peculiar sluggishness of his thoughts.

He prodded at his memory, trying to dredge up his last thoughts before sleep. _What happened? Where am I?_

The familiar scent of the SGC infirmary... The familiar lingering soreness of a zat blast... With an uncomfortably sudden force, he remembered the scene he had made in the gate room.

With a quick intake of breath, he opened his eyes. The blur of his uncorrected vision was not so bad that he couldn't see that he was alone in the small cubicle formed by a drawn privacy curtain.

According to long habit, he reached for a small table next to his bed for his glasses, only to have his arms stopped inches away from the mattress. _Just great,_ he thought with a sigh as he looked down at his hands, fastened securely to the bars of his hospital bed. It wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was certainly annoying.

"Hello?" Daniel called out. His voice echoed alien-like back at him from the walls of the infirmary that seemed deserted from behind the screening curtain. "Anyone there?"

To Daniel disgust, it wasn't the reassuringly friendly figure of Doctor Fraiser that was summoned by his call. Instead, the figure that peeked timidly around the curtain was an appallingly young man, with hair slightly too large for his head, and a stethoscope dangling forgotten from his neck. _He can't possibly be a doctor. He must be an assistant..._

"Where's Doctor Fraiser?" Daniel asked, his temper piqued by the intrusion of this stranger.

The doctor's large eyes flinched away from him, scanning the room before returning to Daniel. "How're you doing?" the young doctor asked, and then winced at a belated realization. "Sorry...I forgot you can't answer."

In the awkward silence that followed, Daniel's heart sank. But there was a part of him that just would not give in without a fight. With a raised brow, he lifted his hands, trying to indicate the restraints that tethered him to the bed with what he believed to be a very clear expression of query.

The stranger stared at him as though he were something entirely alien. (Which was really something, considering some of the things they'd been bringing back through the Stargate, lately.) After a pregnant silent, the doctor announced, "I brought your glasses." Before Daniel could register the non sequitur, the young doctor had pulled the glasses from a pocket and placed them on the archeologist's face. _I hate it when people do that..._ he groaned inwardly, as he felt the arms of the glasses grinding stray hairs into the backs of his ears.

The doctor freely interpreted his look of irritation, and started chattering in a ceaseless monologue, "Oh, I know. They got knocked through the gate, but apparently Colonel O'Neill keeps an extra pair around. That seems a little odd to me, but to each his own. It seems like he really cares about his team..."

As he chattered on, Daniel took note of the nervous glances, and the way he fidgeted with the stethoscope. _Is he...afraid? Of me?_

"Look, as much as I'd love to sit here listening to you yammer on..." Daniel began. He knew he wouldn't be understood, but he had hopes that he could at least discourage the annoying man from talking.

No luck. "Doctor Fraiser says that she thinks it best if you stay here. Ah… You understand, I hope? Something knocked out every single one of the people in the observatory. Was that you, too?" she asked.

A quick survey of his memories gave Daniel the answer he was looking for. He considered trying to scare off the annoying doctor, but in the end, he just shook his head in the negative. The events in the observatory were news to him.

"Do you have any idea what could have caused it?" Another question, and this time a nod from Daniel. He was already tired of this guessing game, but he didn't have much choice but to sit and endure it.

"Could it have something to do with the cube you were carrying?" Daniel winced a little, but this time he shook his head. It wasn't lying if he wasn't actually speaking, was it?

"It was an accident, then?" Daniel hesitated, but gave a bit of a nod. "Ah."

A long, uncomfortable silence passed, until Daniel finally opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by the nervous doctor or assistant or whatever he was. "Well, Doctor Fraiser thinks that it's best if you stay here for now. No one is certain exactly what got into you, but until you can tell us what it was, it's probably for the best. Is there anything I could get you?"

Daniel was amazed at how quickly the assistant had forgotten that he couldn't talk. He glanced around, desperately, and finally looked down at one of his confined hands, trying to mime reading a book.

Wonder of wonders, the momentary confusion on the doctor's face cleared after a few minutes into one of revelation, and he asked, "A book? You want a book to read?" Relieved, Daniel gave an emphatic nod. "Well, _that_ I can do!" With a bounce in his step, the young doctor disappeared through the privacy curtain to fetch the book.

Unfortunately, Daniel's excitement was short-lived, as the man returned much too quickly, to dump a worn paperback on his lap. "Okay, well. I'll be back to check on you periodically, and I'm sure your friends will look in on you as soon as they can. You take care, Dr. Jackson!"

Utterly dejected, Daniel looked down at the reading material with which he had been presented. In scrolling letters across the speckled pink, mildewed cover, blue foil letters mocked him: "The Lusty Bridegroom."

With all the force he could manage with his confined hands, he threw the book away from the bed. When the book hit the curtain, he was denied even the satisfying smack of it hitting the wall.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Two days later, Daniel fidgeted impatiently on the examination table in the infirmary.

"Well," Dr. Fraiser said, reluctantly, "You've shown no violent tendencies whatsoever. I'm a little worried about this PET scan, though..."

Daniel rolled his eyes, but was mollified by Sam's encouraging smile. "Janet, we're hoping that going back to the planet will help him to show some improvement. He seems to think that it will."

Although he couldn't contribute as actively to the discussion as he would have liked, Daniel frowned with frustration and gave a firm nod.

"Well, I can't see any reason to veto it, but I'm not happy about it," she announced, leveling them both a fierce look that froze any celebratory gestures before they'd even begun. "Now, I'll be coming along to monitor Daniel's condition. If I see the slightest signs that he's being adversely affected, I'm going to give the order and send him back through the Stargate. Is that clear?"

Daniel gave a sober nod, and Sam replied more vocally, "We'd expect nothing less."

* * *

_Finally, some time alone,_ Daniel thought to himself, as he slipped down the hallway.

Sam was somewhere behind him, having separated at the locker rooms. A pang of guilt stabbed Daniel as he recalled her playful admonition. "I'm trusting you," she'd said, jokingly. As though there were no question that he was to be trusted. "A quick shower, and pack your bags. Then we're off to get you back on your feet."

_Well, she doesn't know what's really going on,_ he reassured himself. _If I could just explain to her, I know she'd go along with it._

A sigh exploded from his lips as he paused, smiling uncertainly at a passing soldier. Air force? Army? He still couldn't tell them apart in their SGC uniforms.

_Sam will forgive me,_ he reassured himself, fighting back a familiar stab of loneliness. However, as he slipped unnoticed into his silent office, he paused near the doorway.

A brief moment of indecision passed, and he steeled himself to walk to his desk. A quick search through the desk revealed exactly what he was looking for: The sand-colored cube, tossed forgotten in a drawer. Perhaps one of the soldiers had picked it up and put it away 'for safekeeping.'

For a moment, he was transfixed. He couldn't even take it eyes off it long enough to pick it up. Finally, he tore his gaze away with a purposeful blink and picked up the object. _Such a small object to cause so much trouble..._

Just as he was tucking the cube into his backpack, a myopic, slouch-shouldered scientist opened the door. For a moment, they both stood owl-eyed and frozen, startled. _Shit, shit, shit... What if he knows I'm not supposed to be unsupervised...?_

The young scientist gave an uncertain grin, "Oh, ah...I...I'm sorry D...Dr. Jackson... I th...thought you were...ill?"

_You don't know the half of it,_ he thought, but what came out of his mouth was a string of nonsense filled with awkward, forced humor.

The grin on the young-man's face faded to a look that Daniel knew too well: pity. With an uncomfortable smile, Daniel looked around, trying to find some excuse to be in his office when he clearly wasn't fit for work.

After a brief hesitation, he grabbed a book and held it up, giving a weak grin as he gestured to it.

The young man seemed to think he understood, as he gave a softer smile and nod. "A little light reading, sir?"

Daniel gave a bit of a grin and a shrug of his shoulder. That seemed to be all he needed, for the scientist gave a bit of a start, and jumped out of the way of the door.

Not about to waste the opportunity, Daniel slipped past and walked quickly down the hall.

"H...Have a good day, sir! Get....Get well soon!"

The words echoed behind him, but Daniel just kept his head down and put up a hand that he hoped would be accepted as an appropriate farewell, just before he turned the corner.

* * *

"Now remember, Daniel. This isn't a kindergarten field trip. No exploring, no matter how interesting the funny markings seem..."

O'Neill was lecturing, but Daniel was smiling quietly, like a man with a secret. On his other side, Sam gave him a questioning look, but Daniel just waved her off and ducked his head. _On the bright side, this whole dysphasia thing makes a great excuse not to explain myself..._

"If you see something that you think might help, don't go investigating it yourself," O'Neill rambled on. "That's what your science buddies are here for."

As the Stargate burst into life in front of them, Daniel had to stifle a wild urge to laugh as a strong euphoria overwhelmed him. A moment later, O'Neill gave the signal for the group to move forward, and Daniel strode ahead of the rest of the group, when he usually would have lagged behind, fiddling with his equipment.

O'Neill watched Daniel disappear through the Stargate. The linguist even had a bit of a bounce in his step. "What was that all about?" he asked.

But Carter merely shrugged and gave a little smile. "Probably just happy to be taking action."

Although O'Neill couldn't dismiss his unease, he made no more comment, but led the rest of his team through the Stargate, rushing to catch up with Daniel.

Meanwhile, wrapped in many layers of clothing, in the bottom of Daniel's pack, hid the sand-colored cube.


	6. Chapter Six

**  
Chapter 6**

Daniel stared out over the camp from his perch in one of the lower branches of a tree. He felt a cloud of oppressive gloom settling in around him, but nothing he could do would chase it away. He had been so sure that the answer to this puzzle lay somewhere on this planet, but so far nothing had been forthcoming.

_It would help if they'd just give me two minutes alone,_ Daniel thought to himself, his brow creasing with sudden pique. He thought of the sand-colored cube safely hidden in his bag in the tent, and had to force himself not to grit his teeth.

He didn't dare experiment with the object while his chaperones were nearby, but he had very little privacy. Even now, a discrete guard was pretending not to watch him while standing on the path below.

He turned his gaze toward the ruins, with a sigh. From here, he could see "his" team of archeologists working away, trying to decode the mysteries of the building. Fat lot of good it would do them. The cube was the key, and he didn't dare give it to them. They'd just fall into the same trap that he'd fallen into.

Suddenly, a bit of movement caught the corner of his eye and he turned to see an approaching figure. _Janet. Just what I need. Guess the vacation's over..._

He didn't bother trying to talk to her. In fact, he didn't bother looking at her. Test after unhelpful test had revealed that Daniel's condition was "stable," ...which to him meant "not improving" no matter how many times Janet pointed out that it also meant "not deteriorating." No more tests were going to change that. Impulsively, he pushed himself off the branch, and jumped to the ground with a clumsy _thud._

As Dr. Fraiser continued to approach, he continued to walk away, ignoring her as she followed him down the trail.

"Daniel?" the doctor queried, trying to get his attention.

Sarcastically, he replied, knowing she wouldn't understand a word, "What's the point, Janet? You can't even understand what I'm saying. I might as well be talking to a wall..."

He didn't bother looking to see her reaction. He could practically feel her wary gaze boring into his back as he walked down the path that would eventually lead him back to camp and his own tent. "Daniel," she repeated, in a more authoritative tone, "We need to run more tests. We think that maybe if we…"

At last, Daniel's temper snapped and he turned on her. Without a word, he merely glared, and made a cutting motion with his hands. In case she doubted his determination, he lifted his chin, and planted his feet, stubbornly.

Dr. Fraiser stared at him in shocked silence, her mouth an open 'o'. It was a rare moment indeed when one of her patients failed to respond when she took that tone. Daniel waited patiently as she regained her equilibrium. But when she spoke, she merely said, with forced calm, "Daniel…I just want to help."

"How can I make you see, I don't. Want. More. Tests," Daniel said, more for his own benefit than for hers. She gave a nervous smile, before he finally stepped forward toward her.

Doctor Fraiser stood her ground, her hands going to her hips, and her face taking on a more stubborn expression, but her slight glance to the unsubtle guard was enough to clue him in that she was nervous. _Nervous enough to stop pestering me?_ He wondered, unhopefully.

"Daniel... We're all doing everything we can to help you. You could at least try to be cooperative..." The litany continued, with Daniel becoming more irritated with every second.

"NO. You listen to me. I'm through being cooperative. I'm through taking your pointless tests. And I'm through letting other people do _my_ research, when it's _my_ life that's on the line here." He knew she couldn't understand him, but he made sure to put every ounce of frustration and anger that he felt into his tone of voice. A small, wicked part of him felt a sick satisfaction at the shocked, slightly fearful look with which she regarded him.

The larger part of him, however, just felt sick. Without another word or even a glance to his 'guard', Daniel turned and ran, taking off into the brush lining the path.

Within minutes, for the first time since he'd lost the ability to communicate, Daniel was truly alone.

* * *

As Daniel approached the camp, he could hear voices murmuring ahead of him. Perhaps he was growing weary of human company, or perhaps he was merely suspicious of the secretive tone, but something spurred him to duck behind a tent, taking an alternate approach that would keep him hidden.

All the recent on-the-job training had made him much more effective when it came to skulking about. Somehow, he managed to remain hidden until he was just within earshot.

He could identify two voices: Jack and Sam. They seemed to be having some sort of meeting.

"Sir, we've examined the building that Daniel keeps showing us, but we can't get inside. None of the men's weapons can break through, and there's no visible entryway that I can find," Sam was saying.

_Good,_ Daniel thought, somberly, _The last thing we need is __**two**__ gibbering archeologists around here..._

Jack didn't seem much impressed by the failure, though. "There has to be a way in there, Carter. I don't care what it takes."

Carter again, "I understand, sir. We're working on it. We're trying to see if there might be something that Daniel accidentally triggered behind all those creeping vines. I've got a team clearing away the greenery, but it's going to take some time. That stuff is impossible to burn, and it takes a lot of muscle to tear it free from the wall."

Suddenly, there were footsteps on the path. Daniel ducked down further behind the tent, not daring to peek out for fear of being seen. _You'd think I was back on Chulak, _he reflected, bitterly.

"I think we may have a problem," Daniel heard, and his bitterness turned to sinking dread in a moment. It was Dr. Fraiser. "Daniel is behaving very strangely. I think...Well, I think it might be something similar to the Gate room incident..."

Daniel didn't wait to hear what she was going to say. He was running out of time. With his heart in his shoes, he crept back the way he had come, sneaking around to his own tent to fetch the cube.

_If they aren't going to let me work on this, I'm just going to have to take matters into my own hands..._

* * *

Jack knew that they were being watched, and he was fairly certain that it was Daniel. He groaned inwardly as the doctor approached, and glanced toward the tent where he'd heard the archeologist snooping. When she spoke, his gaze snapped back toward her, but he lowered his voice.

"Look, Doc, I know you have good intentions, but I think Daniel just needs some space..." He glanced to the Doctor, raising his eyebrows significantly, and she suddenly realized that he was speaking purposefully loud... He _wanted_ Daniel to overhear.

Slowly, she caught on, and he didn't like the nervous glance she sent in that direction. "Ah...You're probably right, sir...I just...um..."

Jack lowered his voice, gesturing the doctor nearer, "Look, I'll take care of this. Act like you're going back to work, but try to keep your people out of the way. Just in case..."

After sending the doctor on his way, Jack started off purposefully in the direction of the tent. A cursory inspection told him everything he needed to know. Someone had been snooping around back here, and he'd bet his life that it was Daniel.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Carter asked, interrupting his reverie. She'd followed him, and the look of confusion and worry on her face was a reflection of Jack's own feelings. Carefully, he kept his expression composed.

"Carter, I want you to get Teal'c and find Daniel. I want to get to him before he does anything else that we'll all regret," Jack ordered.

"...Yes, sir," Carter replied, hesitantly. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she thought better of it and turned to march off, Jack felt a great sense of relief. The last thing he wanted to think about was his feelings about what was happening to Daniel.

He had a gut feeling where he would find Daniel, but as he strode off in the opposite direction from Carter, he hoped with everything he had that he was wrong.


	7. Chapter Seven

**  
Chapter 7**

"Heeeeey, Danny-boy!"

The archeologist cringed inwardly. He should have known that Jack would track him down, eventually.

He had almost made it back to the beginning of this whole mess, too. He took cold comfort from the fact that the alien cube was now safely tucked in his pocket. If he could just get a chance to study the building without people hovering...

Daniel forced a look of careful innocence on his face, and turned to look at Jack, who was jogging up the path after him.

"Hey, Doc Fraiser wants to take a look at your...ah..." The colonel gestured awkwardly toward his forehead, to indicate Daniel's condition. "You know. Whatever it is she's looking at."

Daniel gave a patient smile, but shrugged. For a moment, their eyes locked, and for the first time since this whole thing had started, he felt a connection to another person. A sense of communication without struggle. Suddenly, Daniel raised a questioning eyebrow, and hiked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the direction he'd been going.

The colonel gave a half smile of understanding. "Want to take a look at some funny rocks, I take it?"

Slowly, Daniel grinned and gave a bit of a nod.

"Think it'll help?" Jack asked, doubtfully.

Daniel rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, but turned to walk that direction without another word.

Jack hesitated only a moment, but eventually just rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. But I'm coming with you."

Daniel slowly started to grin as he walked, and Jack trotted to catch up.

* * *

As Daniel approached the building, he also approached a gaggle of scientists who had been working non-stop on the building since arriving. Somehow, however, the crowd of people didn't bother him. The cube in his pocket began to vibrate slightly, and a pleasant feeling of "rightness" washed over him. He was where he belonged. Now all he needed was the last piece of the puzzle.

"Daniel?" The linguist heard his name called, and choose to ignore it for the moment. Instead, he paced around the building to take a look at a different wall.

"Look, Daniel, I don't mean to rain on your parade, but your science buddies have been all over this place..."

Daniel continued to ignore Jack's nattering. In fact, after all the time he'd spent ignoring Jack's complaints, it almost helped him concentrate.

A few more minutes of silence ticked by, while Daniel traced a finger over an unfamiliar letter. As his gaze glanced over the words, he could feel the pressure of a tension-headache building behind his eyes. The runes swam before his eyes and numbly he realized that he was having trouble deciphering them.

"Danny...?" Jack's complaints continued, but it was a moment before Daniel realized that Jack was speaking a foreign language.

Startled, Daniel turned, but as he looked at Jack in clear shock, the man didn't seem to even realize anything was wrong.

Concerned, Jack looked at Daniel, and said, "Y'otak? Herr ahble ve?"

The cube was buzzing harder, and the now full-fledged headache pounded in Daniel's temples as he tried to comprehend what he was hearing.

Desperately, he glanced around at face after concerned face, but none of that concern was directed at Jack.

_Oh, God. It's getting worse._ The realization hit Daniel like a load of bricks.

The cube in his pocket was no longer merely buzzing, but seemed to have developed a warmth that he could feel even through the fabric that contained it.

For a moment, Daniel met Jack's gaze, and saw his own horror reflected there. Perhaps it was this momentary warning that allowed Jack to react as Daniel turned with desperation and pulled the cube from his pocket.

As chaos erupted around him, Daniel only had a moment to register the curious change in the box. At some point during its stay in his pocket, it had developed a smooth, opalescent sheen. Letters scrolled across its surface, just on the edge of his understanding. He felt that if he could just look at it in the right light, he would know exactly what it said...

Some people were shouting warnings and some leaping to stop him, but it might as well have been the clucking of hens as far as Daniel was concerned. Only Jack was close enough to react as Daniel, acting partly on some gut instinct that it was _right_, held the cube out, mere inches from the wall.

As Jack grabbed Daniel to try and pull him away from the wall, a white light shot from the wall, enveloping them both in blinding brightness.

Then, everything went black.

* * *

Daniel and Colonel O'Neill had disappeared in a blinding flash of light. At first, Sam simply stared at the empty place where they had stood, uncomprehending.

In a detached sort of way, a part of her wondered at the enormous power involved in the transfer of two human beings from one place to another....

_Or in their disintegration,_ a niggly, pessimistic part of her added. With a start, Sam shook herself out of her shock, and looked around to take in the chaos of activity that had erupted in the wake of Daniel's actions.

Scientists were shouting orders, soldiers were shouting contradictory orders, and in the middle of it all, Teal'c stood at her side, with only a slight frown to betray his worry.

She took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to keep calm. Jack's disappearance meant that she was in charge. Once she felt prepared to deal with this responsibility, she straightened her shoulders.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" she shouted, mimicking the tone of voice she had often heard her commanding officer use. Blissfully, silence descended upon the work site.

She leveled a commanding look at anyone within eyeshot, which gave her time to gather her thoughts and decide upon the next course of action. As the group of scientists and soldiers alike looked at her in surprised silence, she said in a milder tone, still pitched to carry but no longer shouting, "Now. All the archeologists to return to the Gate. You've got plenty of recordings to work on your translations."

She glanced toward two of the anthropologists who had been in the middle of taking readings around the strange building, and said, "I want you two working on figuring out exactly what just happened. It looked like a transfer beam, so we're going to work under the assumption that Colonel O'Neill and Daniel are alive somewhere."

Finally, her gaze returned to the soldiers, standing stiffly at attention. "The rest of you...I want you combing these ruins in groups of two. If you find anything, and I mean _anything_ that looks suspicious, do not under any circumstances touch it. Call me on the radio for further orders."

As the group of people continued to watch her in stunned silence, a twinge of irritation twisted her features. "Well? What are you waiting for? GO!"


	8. Chapter Eight

**  
Chapter 8**

The dizzying sensation of being plunged through space into darkness was not entirely foreign to either Jack or Daniel, but as a trained soldier, it was Jack who stood at attention on the other side, his hand already moving to his weapon as he looked around, wide-eyed in the gloom, waiting for his eyes to adjust.

It was a moment before he realized that he still had an arm around Daniel, and the archeologist was struggling to be released. Jack finally let him go, but murmured, "Stay close, Daniel. Under no circumstances do we want to be separated."

He could feel Daniel's annoyance as he jerked away, but long experience reassured him that the archeologist would follow his instructions. At least, as long as they were in such a precarious position.

Slowly, as Jack's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he began to make out the general shape of the room. It was a cube of some sort, and as far as he could tell, the walls were made of featureless stone. There wasn't even a door or a window to let in light.

With a frown, the colonel glanced around, searching for the source of the glow that allowed him to see in the darkness. His search drew his gaze directly back to Daniel, who was still holding the alien cube in his hands. The faint light emitted by the thing cast faint shadows on the man's face, and something about the sight of Daniel staring transfixed at the object caused Jack's stomach to turn.

"You sure that thing isn't radioactive?" Jack asked, using his usual joking manner to try and capture Daniel's attention.

Silence from the archeologist. Daniel didn't even twitch as he continued staring at the artifact. Concerned, Jack touched his shoulder, but didn't get a response. It wasn't until he waved a hand in front of Daniel's face, breaking his line of sight with the cube, that Daniel finally looked up with a distracted smile.

Another line of that gibberish garbage came out of Daniel's mouth, and Jack held up a hand for silence. "I'm going to look around a little," Jack whispered, with a glance toward the cube. He considered trying to take the thing away, but even as the thought crossed his mind, Daniel clutched it a little closer to his chest.

In the end, Jack decided to leave Daniel alone for now, and forced an uncomfortable smile onto his face. "Just….stay put, will ya?" he finally said with annoyance. Daniel looked at him with bemused confusion, and Jack remembered the look of confusion and fear he'd seen there moments before they'd been...zapped, or whatever had happened.

Frustrated, Jack pointed to Daniel, and said clearly, "/You/..." Then he pointed to the ground, "Stay here." Then he held up a hand in the classic gesture for 'stop'. "Stay."

Eventually, Daniel just rolled his eyes and went back to staring at his cube, this time turning it over and over in his hands.

That would have to do. Convinced that Daniel would stay out of trouble, Jack started a painstaking search around their prison for any means of escape.

As he looked at the expanse of solid stone, he sighed slightly. Somehow, he had a feeling that they weren't going to get out the same way they came in.

* * *

Half an hour later, Jack had proven himself right. This was one of those times when he hated that he was right, though he'd have never admitted to it. The room may have been large and dark, but there didn't even appear to be any sort of an exit. There was no door, and no sign of a transport device that he could find. In fact, he had felt over every inch of the walls, and had not found even the slightest sign of a flaw in the smooth stone. Unless Daniel had hidden a pickaxe in his pocket along with that stupid cube, he didn't know how they were going to get out.

He was taking inventory of what weapons he had on hand when he heard a familiar voice. "Jack." Daniel was calling to him in the voice that always made Jack's stomach sink. It was the one that said that Daniel had gone pushing buttons where he shouldn't, or that there was a giant killer bug approaching from behind. The tone had a million meanings, but each of them spelled trouble.

"Daniel?" he returned cautiously. Only belatedly did he realize the true significance of the statement. "Daniel! You said my name!"

A few steps brought O'Neill back to Daniel's side, but Daniel only reluctantly looked away from the glowing cube. He had a distinct look of worry on his face.

That couldn't be good.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, splitting his attention between the cube and Daniel. "Is it just my imagination, or is that thing getting brighter?"

Daniel just looked at him in worried silence, then looked back at the cube.

* * *

_It wants me to do something,_ Daniel thought, trying to work the problem through in his mind. _I'm supposed to do something. What am I supposed to do? What's happening to me?_

As Jack hovered over him, asking question after question that he couldn't understand, Daniel tried to ignore his own growing panic.

_Deal with it, Daniel,_ he told himself, sternly. _This isn't the first time you've been cut off from the group...Figure it out._

With frustration, he turned the cube over in his hands one more time, gritting his teeth. _Yes, but those times I didn't have Jack hovering at my shoulder babbling nonsense and reminding me exactly how screwed I am._

He glanced up at Jack, and an unbearable sense of helplessness overwhelmed him. _I can't do this. There's nothing to figure out. We're trapped._

His gaze dropped to the cube in his hand, and his fingers clenched angrily around the even surface. He hefted the weight of it in his hands. The size of a baseball, but certainly not the weight...

Suddenly, impulsively, he turned away from Jack and threw the cube as hard as he could at the wall.

* * *

"Daniel!" Jack flinched as the archeologist exploded in a fit of uncharacteristic rage. "What the hell are you..."

Daniel turned away, covering his face with his hands, and so Jack was the first one to spot a silvery gas seeping from the corner of the object.

Without hesitation, Jack grabbed Daniel's arm, dragging him back and away from the cube as it continued to spout some sort of glowing, wispy material into the air that seemed to coagulate and hover near the cube.

Jack was just barely cognizant of a wordless exclamation of surprise from Daniel, but didn't release his teammate's arm.

Before the two men's shocked eyes, the gas continued to build and darken, until it almost seemed to become solid in the air, eventually forming into the shape that seemed vaguely human. At least, the thing had a face...

It looked at them in silence, and Jack faltered. At his side, Daniel opened his mouth, then closed it again.

This would usually be the point at which Daniel took the lead. But Daniel couldn't speak or understand a thing. Jack glanced aside at Daniel, and realized that the archeologist was looking from him to the creature, expectantly.

"Oh. Right..." Uncertain, he looked back at the diaphanous person, if it could be called a person, and cleared his throat. "Ah... Hello!" he offered, trying to ignore the coldly quizzical way that it looked at him. "Um. Take me to your leader?" he tried.

He had just enough time to try and step in front of Daniel as the gas-creature moved, darting toward them faster than anything he'd ever seen.

As Jack was enveloped in white mist, he could only hope that his actions might somehow keep Daniel safe.

* * *

Daniel jumped back, and watched in horror as his friend was....devoured? Absorbed? He wasn't sure exactly what was happening, except that Jack was frozen where he stood, only a shadow visible through the mist that formed this creature's body.

_If you can call that a body,_ he reflected, distantly, still in shock.

As a face appeared once more on the nearest side of the creature, Daniel gave a startled noise and took several steps back.

For a moment he was certain that the thing was going to come after him next, until without warning, it opened its mouth to speak.

"You are....Daniel Jackson. Doctor. Archeologist. Anthropologist. Scientist. Friend."

In shock, the only thing Daniel could think to say was, "Call me Daniel..."

After a moment, as he realized what he'd just heard, he forgot about what he'd just seen. "Wait, I can understand you... This...um...Oh! Can you understand me?" he stammered to the conclusion. He felt like a child presented with a puzzle that was missing half the pieces.

The face smiled mechanically and blinked. "You trespassed. You have been locked. I hold the key."

Daniel's excitement was squelched. "You mean I'm still...ah...scrambled?"

A faint look of confusion darkened the apparition's face. "You are locked," it repeated.

"Right," Daniel responded, trying not to let his frustration show. He decided to try a different tactic. "We didn't intend to trespass. We're explorers. We were just...ah...looking. We just want to understand you."

Patiently, the apparition repeated, "You trespassed. You have been locked."

"Well, you said you have the key," Daniel pointed out, determined not to give up. "So just....unlock me. _Please._" He couldn't help a tiny note of desperation that creeped into his voice as he tried to get through to the alien.

The smile that the face made seemed to somehow be patronizing. "You would be harmed. We do not harm."

Daniel stared in disbelief. "But...My friend. What did you do to Jack?"

"Your friend is well," the apparition said, in a parody of motherly reassurance. "He will be locked. He has trespassed."

"_No!_" Daniel shouted.

The face of the cloud gave a disapproving frown, and Daniel cringed a little. "No," he repeated, this time forcing calm into his tone. "We weren't trying to trespass. We were trying to get help. You...You harmed me, when you...ah...locked me. _He_ was trying to help..."

The frown disappeared, to be replaced by another patronizing smile, this time a bit more puzzled. "You have trespassed. You will be locked."

"You've got to be kidding me...Look, we're _sorry._ But you've hurt me, and you will hurt my friend too if you...you...lock him. Who _are_ you?" Daniel finally asked, in desperation.

The apparition did not respond at first. After a short pause, however, it finally said, calmly, "I am Keeper. Chaperone. Protector. Guardian. Warden. Defender."

Grasping at straws, Daniel asked, "Guardian of _what_? Why are you doing this?"

The last question seemed to be one that the being could answer, as it responded, "You will be locked. You will be safe."

Once again, Daniel felt his jaw dropping in disbelief. "Safe from _what?_" he asked, his voice cracking slightly under the stress. "We haven't seen anything. We don't _know_ anything."

Silence descended after Daniel's outburst, as the apparition merely looked at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but the gas-creature beat him to it. "You are hurt."

The strange statement startled him, and for a moment the frustration was driven from Daniel's mind. Shock silenced him for a moment, before he finally managed, with some relief, "_Yes_. Yes. I am hurt. You need to make me well."

A flutter of hope lifted Daniel's spirits for a moment as the being seemed to be trying to consider this, with a faint frown. Finally, it spoke, "You _must_ be locked. We do _not_ hurt."

Eagerly, Daniel waited for the being to reach the conclusion he was desperately hoping for...

Unfortunately, the result was not exactly what Daniel was hoping for. Instead, the silver mist that made up the being's body suddenly evaporated, leaving Jack's body to fall to the floor in an unconscious heap.

"Wait! Come back!" But it was too late. The creature was gone.


	9. Chapter Nine

**  
Chapter 9**

Some time later, Jack had revived, but the unfortunate duo's tempers were beginning to wear thin. It didn't help that the gentle glow from the alien box had gone out, leaving them trapped in the dark. As of yet, they had failed to find a way out, and Daniel could only hope that the creature he'd conversed with would decide to help them, rather than leave them here to starve...

Suddenly, Daniel simply couldn't stand the silence any longer. He'd been without speech too long to neglect it now. "Jack?"

An annoyed response snapped back from the darkness, characteristically Jack. "What?"

In the dark, Daniel winced at the annoyed response, but forced himself to continue. "I was just going to apologize." He deliberately made himself sound slightly offended, knowing that this would only irritate the colonel further. Sometimes he just couldn't help himself.

A long silence ensued, but to his surprise, Jack eventually unbent enough to respond, "You're forgiven."

Daniel was just trying to come up with a sarcastic reply, when Jack floored him by adding, "And…hey. For what it's worth, I'll stop picking on you."

For once, Daniel couldn't think of a safe answer to that, so he cleared his throat slightly, and settled for a quiet, "Thanks."

Another awkward silence ensued, and this time it was Jack that broke it. "Hey, Daniel?"

The archeologist was careful to keep his tone neutral as he responded, "Yes, Jack?"

"You okay? You know…after everything that's happened…"

Daniel sighed audibly, but responded, "Yeah...but I'll be a lot better when we get out of here."

As though in answer to his rueful comment, a female voice filled the air, "Next time, children, save us all a lot of trouble and read the damned warning."

A sudden, bright light blinded Daniel, and he felt the world shift around him for the second time that day.

* * *

An indefinite period of time passed for Daniel before he became self-aware again. He felt warm…Safe. A comforting strength was wrapped around him, confining him, but he had no reason to fear this presence. He had no name for what this feeling was. He had no words for anything, in fact, and simply reveled in the feeling of calm as he tried to remember what he had forgotten. There was something important, he knew, but it was just out of reach.

Without warning, he felt the comforting warmth drawn away from him, to be replaced by a frightening sense of loneliness and cold. Without thought, he screamed at the top of his lungs, beginning to get angry that he had been forced out of his comfortable home.

"Shhhhhh….Danny. Mother's here. It's okay." He calmed. That's what he had forgotten. This was his Mother. He had a word for something now, and it made sense. It was good.

Time sped by, faster and faster, bringing with it more knowledge. He began to enjoy the excitement of the smallest revelation, thrilling at the sheer joy of learning. Daddy. Teddy. Bottle. And then more abstract concepts: Want. Mine. Gone.

He found himself once again in the familiar New York Museum of Art, but there was no trepidation. He was fascinated by the artifacts surrounding him, reading the plaques and absorbing the new information like a sponge. He had learned something new. They actually took the guts out of people before mummifying them, and he just couldn't wait to share this with his parents! Wouldn't they be just _so _shocked? His parents were working on a new exhibit, so he ran to where he knew they were working, ignoring the warning of the woman who was supposed to be watching him, and arrived just in time to see the chain snap, and a huge stone slab fall from the ceiling and crush his parents.

He learned the true meaning of a new word that day: Grief.

He would be reacquainted with this concept from time to time, but life went on. High school arrived, and his vocabulary grew exponentially as he became intensely interested in languages. There was so much to learn, and as long as he buried himself in the knowledge, he could not be hurt again.

He met his first crush in French class. She was the top of the class, even better than he was at making the odd sounds required by the language, though of course he had the better vocabulary. He had adored her from the moment he saw her, and she had felt much the same about him. When they graduated high school, they went their separate ways, but he would never forget her. Because of her, he knew there was more to life than knowledge…There was love.

He grew older and wiser, but still there never seemed to be enough time. Languages seeped into his mind, filling it to bursting, and he thought sometimes that his head really would explode. It never did. He received two Ph.D.'s and a Master's degree, and he knew now what it felt to be proud.

He studied ancient Egypt, and made shocking new discoveries… Not only about Egypt, but about words he had only thought he knew the meaning of. Shame. Disgrace. Ostracism. Ridicule. He was a genius ahead of his time, and he had begun to believe the nay-sayers when he found himself on the street without a job or a credible reputation to get a new one.

Then came the Stargate program: Hope.

His year on Abydos was the happiest he had been since his parents had died. It was one of the rare times in his life that he knew love.

When he lost that, it had seemed hopeless to him, but back with SG-1, he had found something new that was all too unexpected. Friendship. Family.

_It should be over now, shouldn't it?_ Part of his mind now knew that he was not really going on each mission, continuing to grow and learn with each trip through the Stargate, but the images paraded on unabated.

The last few days passed before his eyes, and he knew the word for that as well. Frustration and anger on his own part. Determination from his team.

As Jack chased him into the dangerous light, a tear came to his eyes. Loyalty.

Finally, the last memory filed past his eyes, and he realized what he had forgotten: Danger. Jack was in danger. A stabbing fear pierced him, as he realized it was his own foolishness that had put his friend in this predicament.

Gradually, he came back to himself, and became aware that he was back in the present. Somehow he knew that he was fully whole, and with a new shock, he realized that he had fallen to the floor and was curled in the fetal position. He shook with cold, and he could feel a bruise on his hip and elbow where his bones had barked against the stone floor, but he could only think of one thing... What had happened to his friend?

"Daniel?" He heard his name called, and forced his eyes to open, wincing as lingering sparks of white danced before his eyes. He tried to focus on the blur of shapes moving around him, but he couldn't make sense of them just yet.

"Jack …?" He was met with a relieved laugh, and he tried to sit up, still somewhat woozy, only to find hands pulling him up, helping him to sit and pressing a canteen to his lips.

"I'm fine," the colonel replied with amusement, and without warning his glasses were placed back on his nose. Jack's face came into focus, framed by sunlight and vegetation, and Daniel realized they were back in camp. "C'mon, say something, Danny-boy."

Still woozy and in shock, Daniel stared at Jack, blinking to clear the last of the spots from his vision. "Jack?" he finally managed, his expression twisting to one of wry annoyance.

Jack's amusement melted away as his old worry came creeping back in. "What is it, Danny? Come on, talk to me."

"...Stop calling me that."

As laughter erupted around them, the two friends shared a more sedate smile, and as they made eye contact, they each knew what the other was thinking without having to say a word.

They were alive. Whole. Once again, SG-1 had pulled through, and lived to fight another day.


End file.
